PAL: The Pie Chronicles
by Pie Slasher
Summary: My take on the FanFiction "PAL: The Dark Chronicles" by BookPrincess32. Ash is sent on a straightforward mission to infiltrate and incapacitate a Team Galactic base in his region, but a simple mistake proves to have disastrous consequences. Will he finally get the justice he so desperately craves?


**As the name suggests, this is a FanFiction about a FanFiction (say whaaaa?). Yes, FanFictionception. And don't worry, I have permission to use the characters made by BookPrincess32.**

 **DISCLAIMER: think about it, really hard okay. If I owned Pokémon or Nintendo or whatever, would I be making a FanFiction about it? No? There you go. I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

"Anything, doctor?"

"Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that we have found out what is wrong with the princess. The bad news is what we diagnosed."

"And?"

"She is showing signs of multiple psychosis disorders: Schizophrenia, PTSD and a rare form of Spatial Disorientation - not unlike tunnel vision."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing will convince her that she is wrong about anything, even if conclusive evidence suggests that she is so."

"Alright. Thank you, Doctor Friedlander."

"No problem, Your Highness," came the reply, "but I must ask you a something: why is she in such a distressed state? I've only ever seen this level of PTSD in war veteran's. Has she had a near death experience or something?"

"Something like that..." Ash said cryptically, his eyes never leaving the Elite Four leader behind the one-way glass.

Seeing that he wouldn't get a definite answer from the absent-minded Champion, Dr Friedlander continued his daily business; he had many patients to attend closed the door behind him, leaving Ash to watch silently as Pakura continued to talk to the spirit medium and her good friend Akeno Calfuray Cheveyo. Unable to hear Pakura tell her that he couldn't be trusted, Ash left the room and sat down at the nearest bench. He thought back to when he was in her mind.

 _"No one will believe you..."_

"Shut up..." Ash said, unable to cope with the taunting voice in his head. He new it only targeted him because of his 'Indomitable Will', and instead of trying to trick him (like it did to everyone else), it tried to deviate him from pursuing the princess. But Ash wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Um, excuse me?" came a sharp, sophisticated voice.

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't happen to be Ashton Jorel Ketchum, would you?"

"Yes I am, but please, it's just Ash Ketchum. The fact that you know that means that you are the spirit medium Akeno, correct?"

"You're perceptive. I'm impressed."

"I also have it on good authority that you are an exceptional battler - far better than the champions of the 6 Goodshow League regions. I don't suppose you have considered trying out for the Elite Four of this region?"

"I have actually thought about it, and I have completed the Hunter Exam and I have all four symbols, so I suppose should a vacancy open up, I would be happy to fill it," replied Akeno cheerfully.

"Interesting," he said with a contemplative look. "I may take you up on that offer."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Akeno, before adopting a more serious look. "But before all of that I have an issue to address; the princess' mental health."

Ash repeated what Dr. Friedlander told him: she had three forms of psychosis disorders, alongside her Scarlet Anger. He also explained his hypothesis that Pakura may be cured of the curse if something good happened in her life, and if she responded well to it.

"It's a sound idea, and I think I have the best way."

"What?"

"She's been talking to me about her engagement with Shiki, and has been really keen on her marriage with him."

"Yeah, that won't work."

"Why not?" Akeno asked with a ghost of a smile.

"Just trust me it won't," Ash said defensively

"Oh, I see." she chuckled

"What?"

"Nothing…" Akeno said, before Ash got a text alert on his phone.

"Shit, the Hunters got a tip off about a warehouse where Cyrus and Team Galactic have been seen. I really have to go. It was nice meeting you Ms. Cheveyo."

"Likewise, Your Majesty."

* * *

Ash's staraptor appeared in a flash of light, and as soon as he mounted it, they flew off at a supersonic speed, creating a sonic boom. Ash pulled out his phone and opened up the tracker app. He punched in the co-ordinates and directed his pokémon towards the blip on the radar. Once they left the city outskirts, they entered the flat plains, where on the horizon Ash saw an old, abandoned warehouse. Realising this was the base, Staraptor slowed its speed until they were about half a kilometre outside the building before landing. Ash recalled Staraptor and crouched down, using the long grass to conceal himself.

He started to leopard crawl to get as close as possible to the base. He got right up to the wall, where he used his aura to spy into the base and asses the risks. He saw multiple dark grey outlines and 26 red, humanoid figures, but strangely, no pokémon. Deactivating his Eagle Vision, he snuck up behind one of the guards on patrol and twisted his neck, killing him after a few minutes. Ash dragged him into the grass and put on the guards outfit, packing his own clothes into a rucksack.

"Rookie error, buddy. Never patrol alone," whispered Ash.

That made one down. Only 24 highly trained assassins and a criminal mastermind to go. Easy enough.

* * *

The mysterious silhouette behind the princess startled her until she realised that it was her fiancé, Shiki, with his arms outstretched. She ran up and hugged him, and he returned it by swinging her around. When he put her down she asked him why he was there, to which he replied with a proposal.

"Why don't you and I go to Los Angeles tomorrow and get married."

Words couldn't describe how elated she felt, so she gave her answer as a furious kiss, which he gladly reciprocated.

"I'll go and pack right away."

"Okay, but don't be too long. I'll miss you too much."

"Alright. I love you."

"I love you too, Paku," Shiki said, but when she turned her back he showed a smile that showed his evil intentions.

* * *

Clutching the knife wound he sustained from one of the eight grunts he had just fought, Ash valiantly soldiered on until he came across a heavily armoured door. His Eagle Vision suggested there were no life forms in the room. Using his spare hand he called out his charizard and ordered it to use Blast Burn on the door to open it. Inside he saw something he didn't expect.

Guns. Lots and lots of guns.

"What do you think they are doing here, Charizard?"

" **Dunno boss. Maybe they're reserve weapons if the ones the grunts use wear out."**

"Hmm…" Ash wasn't so convinced. There were far too many to be spares. The only way to find out was to find the boss.

Once again activating his Eagle Vision he quickly located Cyrus, but he was no longer in the building. He had found out that there was an intruder in the base, so he ran. Ash swapped out Charizard for Staraptor and tracked down Cyrus. He ordered his pokémon to pick him up with its talons and hover in the air - he wanted to manipulate his fear of heights.

"Y'know Cyrus, if you just tell me what you were doing in that warehouse, I might tell Staraptor to let you down gently."

"Fuck you! I'd rather die!" Cyrus yelled, mustering as much venom into his words as possible without pissing himself.

"Fair enough. Staraptor, drop!" came the command.

Cyrus screamed as he plummeted to the ground, desperately shouting his compliance, but they fell on deaf ears, as he fell on unyielding ground. Ash had already read his mind with his aura and extracted all of the information he needed. It turned out that Team Galactic were shipping out military grade weapons illegally, supplying them to cartels and gangs globally. In fact, they were the main benefactor to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico: the largest gang in the country who supplied US criminals with millions of dollars of methamphetamine and guns. This small, unextraordinary warehouse was an international crime scene and a possible link to the Black Market. A good thing Ash and his team shut it down then.

"Interpol are gonna want to inspect the crime scene because of all these connections," Ash thought out loud. "Staraptor, take us back. I have to get the knife with my blood on it. If they find it, I'll be exposed."

They headed back to the building, where Ash took the 6" knife from the stone cold hands of the dead grunt. He removed the rag that he used to cover up his injury, only to see it soaked through with blood.

"Damn, I need a new cloth. And some vodka."

* * *

Ash got home and soaked a tea towel in some vodka and applied it to the wound. He heard a door being opened and the sound of a suitcase being rolled across the floor.

"Where are you going, Paku?" asked Ash.

"I'm off to LA to get married to Shiki. What happened to you?"

"I got stabbed. But you can't marry him." he stated.

"And why not?" she asked with a smirk. "Because I should marry you?"

"I-I" Ash was stunned into silence.

"Look, I have no reason to be here anymore. I want to be with Shiki while I have some time left."

"But the region needs you. _I_ need you."

"No you don't. You are strong enough to handle any obstacle in your way."

Ash, realising he couldn't convince her with words, tried a last-ditch attempt to persuade her to stay. He walked up to her, grabbed both sides of her face and rammed his lips onto hers. He put everything into the kiss, but when they separated, her reply broke his heart.

"Goodbye, Ashton."

He could only stare on - seeing the woman he truly loved turn her back on him and walk away to someone else left him frozen. He almost failed to notice the small, yellow rodent hop onto his shoulder.

" **Why are you not doing anything, Ash?"** he asked.

"Because she doesn't love me, Pikachu. I was too late." Ash said, dejected.

* * *

She thought about this for a long time. In her hand was the piece of paper that would determine her future. All she had to do was give it to the Champion. She heard him and the princess earlier, but decided to wait in the living room instead of confronting him there. About half an hour later she decided to search for him in his room, but as she approached the door, out he came.

"Not right now, Rosaline. I have a lot on my mind."

"I know, and I think that this will help take off some of the load," she said, handing him the paper. "Please, read it."

Ash read through the letter, his eyes widening when he realised what it meant.

"A-Are you sure?" he asked, his composure completely blown. He really didn't predict this.

Rosaline nodded. "It's the right thing to do."

"What made you change your mind?"

"I got a call from my family, and I saw how lucky I was to even have a family who were healthy and who would support me through every decision I made, good or bad, which is more than can be said for everyone here. What we do is dangerous, and I don't want to be the reason for any pain they go through. Y'know, if I..."

"Yeah. Wow, I'm really shocked. I guess all I can say is good luck. Are you gonna say goodbye to Jude and Philip?" he asked.

She shook her head. It would be too painful to bid everyone goodbye. It would remind her of how much everyone hated her.

Despite all that occurred, Ash would miss Rosaline. It may have been annoying, but her optimism did lift the group's spirits. Also, he was saddened by the fact that she just gave up, but she couldn't handle the pressure of the Elite Four, and they were only as strong as their weakest link, so she had to go. But then, out of nowhere, Ash got an epiphany.

"Rosaline, wait!" he called. "I have a use for you."

* * *

Interpol DCI Kevin Graves was not an extraordinary man at first sight. He was quite average. Average height, average build, average looks. But underneath all of that lied a superhuman mind. He had a complete record of over his 30 year tenure of cases - not one unsolved case - a legendary feat in the IPIU (International Police Investigations Unit). This type of case was beneath him. He was only there out of personal interest; this was a supply for the gang who kidnapped and almost killed one of his friends. He trudged through the team of forensic scientists in white suits as they took photographs of the bodies, some of which were twisted gruesomely out of shape. He found a group of eight of them and called over some of the team to help him ID them, and a group of them walked over to him. One particular body caught the eye of one of the scientists.

"Sir, come check this out," she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"All of the other bodies had combat knives on or around them, but this guy is missing his. Also, he died of respiratory failure due to his CNS being disrupted, but there's a tiny puddle of blood by his hand. It can't be from the other guys because there are no exterior wounds on any of them. What do you think, sir?"

"Hmm. Since there is no knife and some unidentified blood, I think it's safe to say that whoever killed this guy got stabbed fairly lightly, as there would be a lot more blood here. The killer got a rag or cloth of some sort to stem the blood flow from his wound as there are no other blood patches anywhere in the vicinity. They then took the knife from the body, probably to avoid DNA identification. What they didn't count on was a couple of drops of blood from the knife. All we need now is the identity of the killer."

"Well, the Hunter Association gave us a statement that it was Prince Jorel himself who raided this base and found out what was happening, so it must be him, right?"

"If it was, why would he take the knife?" Kevin had a thoughtful expression. "Okay, run it through DNA analysis and inform me of any developments, DS Arnott. We'll see if we can find a motive. In the meantime, I'll try to contact him."

"Sir!"

* * *

Pakura walked up to the counter and bought the tickets. Weirdly, Shiki told her to get them to Sinnoh, and when she asked why, he simply said that he had a surprise for her. That was enough to convince her to get the tickets. Four hours later the pair boarded the plane and took off. The journey took around an hour and a half and they landed at Sinnoh International Airport. The couple got their luggage and left, and Shiki called a taxi to take them to the destination. They rode down Route 214 up to a secluded spot. The area was incredibly beautiful: luscious green dominated the view as spots of sunlight squeezed through tiny gaps in the canopy. The lake in the centre was gleaming in the sunlight. A plethora of pokémon scurried along the ground.

But there was something wrong.

The pokémon were running in fear, each one hiding behind a bush or in a tree, their eyes watching the humans' every move. Pakura, unaware of any of this, stared at her reflection in the water. Her fiancé walked up behind her. She stood up and turned to face him, but as she looked into his eyes, she felt a wave of tiredness wash over her. Eventually she succumbed and collapsed. Suddenly, a portal opened up in the lake, and Shiki picked up Pakura and waded in. The portal closed behind him.

* * *

The room was filled with people, each with a microphone, and a multitude of cameras. After all, it wasn't everyday you got a photograph of the reigning champion, let alone an interview, so this press conference wa quite a big deal, and was considered by many to be sacred. The buzz of conversation he was greeted with gradually declined until silent. His mere presence commanded utmost respect. Taking a seat at the table littered with microphones he addressed his audience.

"Good evening. Before I take any questions I would like to make a few announcements. First of all, the leader of Team Galactic, Cyrus Miller has been killed. He and his criminal syndicate were internationally distributing weapons to gangs with intent the commit armed crime, including the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, the Crips and many other notorious crime groups. The International Police have been called in to assist in the forensics. Any questions regarding this should be directed towards them. My second notice is that Rosaline Pyra, one of the Elite Four, has resigned. The reasons why are confidential, but if you want to try your luck then I suggest you ask her about it. Finally, another Elite Four member, Princess Pakura Ameyuri, is currently out of action as she is on vacation. I cannot say when, or even if, she will return, nor can I give details as to where she is. That is all I have to say. If you wish to ask a question then please raise your hand."

Almost instantly the sea of reporters eagerly waved their hands at Ash to grab his attention. He picked out a couple at random and answered their questions. He did however reveal that someone was already trying out for Rosaline's position, but didn't say that it was Akeno. He also told them that she would be the Vice-President of the Detective Hunters, to a massive uproar. Silencing them, he explained that it was because she was a good detective - which they couldn't deny - and that he only wanted what was best for the region. One question tripped him up though.

"Is there any particular reason as to why the princess took a vacation now, in the middle of Battle Season, especially considering she is in the final of the main tournament?" asked the reporter from Weazel News.

Quickly regaining his composure he answered.

"I'm sorry but I cannot say; she has requested absolute privacy and thus has gone somewhere she cannot be contacted by anyone. Should she not return after a month, I will have to seek a new Elite Four Leader. I apologise but I am a very busy and this is the end of a press conference," and with that, Ash left the room.

* * *

Later that evening Ash sat down in front of the TV with his seventh glass of whiskey. He was brooding when he heard a piercing knock on his door. He opened it to find a police officer and two SWAT team members on his doorstep.

"Prince Jorel, I presume?"

"That's me, yes."

"I'm DCI Graves. You are under arrest on suspicion of murder, grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defense if you fail to mention, when questioned, something you later rely on in court. Could you please come with me peacefully so that I don't have to get these guys to force you into a van?" said the officer, handcuffs at the ready.

"Of course, but what about my pokémon?" Ash asked with a slur. He was slightly drunk from all the whiskey.

"One of our units will be here to collect their pokéballs. We already have transport arranged for your pikachu."

After cuffing his hands, Kevin led Ash to the elevator and descended to the ground floor. The entire time the SWAT guys pointed their rifles at him, because this was probably the most dangerous man in the world and he was drunk. Any wrong move from him would result in a shot to the calf and a KO blow to the head. They needn't have worried though, as his body was already breaking down the alcohol at a superhuman rate. In the car he was fully sober and realised just how much shit he was in. This could end his career.

Due to the high profile nature of the case, once they got into the station, instead of keeping him in a holding cell, the police went straight into questioning him. Ash declined the right to a solicitor, stating that he would represent himself in court as he wished to plead not guilty to all charges except the final one. They examined all the evidence found seven years ago, until they came across a bag named KG-13. It was a swab with some blood on it. On the screen showed a photograph of the bag and a puddle of blood from which the sample was taken. Ash's eyes widened as he realised what it was. It was _his_ blood.

"For the DIR, item reference KG-13 is a blood sample taken from a warehouse the criminal syndicate Team Galactic were based until Prince Jorel dismantled all of their operations. Before I reveal why I'm showing you this, I am going to ask you one question. Please answer honestly. Are you Ashton J Ketchum, the 15 year old from Pallet Town accused of murdering Delia Ketchum?"

Ash contemplated whether he should tell them. He could just deny it but then they would take a saliva sample and find a perfect match. He could use his aura to escape by blasting his way out (it wasn't like he was never on the run before), but then his mind drifted to his 'friends'. How great it would be to see those bastards feel the full force of justice. Seeing this as his best opportunity, he told them the truth.

"Yes. My name is Ashton Jorel Ketchum. I have been using my middle name as an alias for the past seven years, but I refuse to accept the charges that I killed my mother."

"It will be a jury which decides that Mr Ketchum, but thank you for your honesty. Due to the nature of the case, coupled with your position of power, I doubt it is the best idea to put you in a cell until your trial, so I will discuss this with my colleagues and find the best solution." Kevin explained, as he stopped the tape and left the room, with Ash still cuffed to the table.

Fifteen minutes later he returned with a fairly bulky device. Kevin said that it was an ankle bracelet, and that it would show Interpol his exact location within half a metre 24/7, and that it would alert HQ if the device was tampered with, if a connection was lost or if he was somewhere he wasn't authorised to be. Ash accepted the terms and followed the inspector to his personal car, and they drove back home.

* * *

Pakura woke up dazed and confused, completely unaware of her surroundings. All she could make out was a haze of red and black as her eyes adjusted. It was unusually warm, hot even, and she realised she was sweating madly. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, and after a while her vision was repaired. The place seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Suddenly, a voice boomed behind her, shocking her out of her trance-like state. She identified the voice instantly. Giratina.

"Good morning, princess," he said.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"My dear, do you not recognise it? You are in the Reverse World, or as some know this place, Hell!"

Pakura jumped back slightly as the force of Giratina's shout startled her. She asked him where Shiki was.

"Your fiancé? I would assume he would be the last person you would want to see, considering he was the one who manipulated you for years and led you directly to me."

"No! You're lying! Shiki would never do that to me!"

"On the contrary, princess, that's exactly what he did. In fact, he's here right now."

A bright flash of light revealed Shiki with his arms outstretched Pakura ran up to him and hugged him tightly. She asked him if what Giratina said was true - that he tricked her into entering Hell.

"I had no choice. When you were taken by Team Rocket, I got infected by MRSA. It nearly killed me. On my deathbed in the hospital I had ran out of hope, so I prayed to Arceus to save me. Then, the angel appeared and made me a deal. My life for another life. But not just any life, your life. He said that he has to kill you for me to live. I'm sorry, it's nothing against you. I just want to live."

Out of nowhere, a surge of energy headed towards Shiki and he seemingly absorbed it. His vision blacked out, and his head was pounding. His legs buckled under his weight and he dropped. He convulsed for a few seconds before he stopped moving, and he lay there, a lifeless corpse. His fiancée could only watch in horror.

"Why did you do that, it's me you want, not him!" she yelled.

"He fulfilled his purpose, and he was a nuisance, just like your parents."

"What did you say?"

"Oh that's right, you don't know!" he cackled. "This just got so much more entertaining."

"What don't I know? Tell me!" she demanded, angry that he was playing with her emotions so easily.

"You're not leaving here alive, I may as well tell you. You see, your parents weren't tose dragon clan morons, but aura users. When they refused to give you up to me when you were born, I killed them, but they left behind one giant headache: they blocked your powers. I came up with a plan to fix that, and Team Rocket managed to release your hidden powers. All I needed then was someone foolish enough to bring you to me. And you know the rest from there."

"So, Ash was right? I shouldn't have trusted Shiki?"

"Oh, that pesky bastard. He knew everything, but he knew you wouldn't believe him, and thought that you had no feelings for him, so let you go. He thinks that the two of you are happily married, but what he doesn't know is what I intend to do to you."

"And what exactly do you intend to do to me?"

"All in good time, Princess. For now, sleep," Giratina said, as he cast a spell over her and her eyelids drooped as she fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Despite being incredibly tires, Ash found himself struggling to sleep. He kept on getting severe nightmares, but as soon as he woke up, they vanished. He couldn't remember even the basic details, and he had no idea what was going on. At about 1 a.m, he finally managed to get some sleep, but this time it was his mum he saw in his dreams.

"Hello, Ash," she greeted with a ghostly voice.

"Hey, mum," he replied.

"What's wrong, I could sense you were distressed."

"Well, I've been getting horrible nightmares just now, but I can never recall what happened in them. All I know is that they terrified me."

"You can't remember them, or don't want to?" she asked with a smirk.

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe both."

"Hmm. Let me try something. Can you sense exactly where Pakura is?"

"Nope. Completely off my radar."

"Okay. I think I know what's wrong. I think your future wife may be in trouble."

"Future wife? You're kidding, right? She doesn't love me, why would she marry me?"

"Ash, I'm your mother, and I love you so, so much, but there are times you infuriate me with your stupidity so much that I sometimes want to kill you."

Ash had no idea how to respond to his mother's outburst, so he didn't. Instead he asked how she knew that Pakura was in trouble, and where she was. To that, Delia said that she must be in the Reverse World, because she certainly wasn't on Earth and she wasn't dead, so that would be the only logical place for her to be. But then Ash remembered his tag, and that he wasn't allowed anywhere outside PAL. Since the only entrance into the Reverse World was in Sinnoh, he wouldn't be able to get to her. His mother only told him that he would find a way, since he always did. As soon as she finished, she started to disappear, as Ash began to wake up.

* * *

Phillip was just going about his normal day - making himself some coffee to wake himself up, removing his sky blue dressing gown and getting dressed in a turtleneck and some jeans - when all of a sudden Ash burst into his room, panting and sweating. He looked like he had just run eight marathons on end without stopping. Eventually he managed to calm him down enough for him to speak coherently. From what he could piece together, it seemed that Pakura was in grave danger, and Ash was powerless because of his tag, so came to him for help. Phillip wracked his brain for a solution, and then remembered something he saw on TV. He could make something that could scramble the signal sent by the tag and fool the computer at Interpol HQ to make it seem like the tag was in any place he wished, so long as there was internet signal. The only problem would be that it wouldn't work in another dimension, so once he got out of the Reverse World, he would be screwed. Phillip told him this, but Ash was adamant to go; nothing was going to stop him. Seeing Ash's stubborn streak show itself again, he started working on the device, and an hour later, it was done. He let Jude know that Ash would be gone for a while, and that he left the two of them in charge of overseeing Rosaline's induction into the Detective Hunters.

Soon Ash released his Charizard and flew all the way to Sinnoh (taking a plane would be too difficult). A few pit stops and they got to the lake by nightfall. Out here there was no internet signal, and Ash's tag was beeping madly. Taking it off, he used his aura to open the portal and jumped right in.

* * *

The Reverse World was not quite as Ash remembered it. It was a lot hotter than before and far quieter. The only sound was the dripping of water from the top of the cave he walked through. He called out the six pokémon he had on him, which turned out to be Charizard, Torterra, Nidoking, Mightyena, Noivern and of course, Pikachu. They walked around as Noivern and Charizard led the way through a tunnel system until they got out of it on the other side. Ash used his Eagle Vision to try and locate Pakura, but she wasn't nearby, so he sent a pulse of aura to try and detect her. After 2 minutes, his ears started ringing and he nearly blacked out, but Pikachu saw him in trouble and shocked him awake. Soon enough Ash's senses were back to normal and he continued on in a particular direction, never deviating from it. There were no pokémon trying to stop them so he recalled all but Pikachu and Noivern, since he still needed some help navigating as his aura powers were unstable. After a while he finally saw the huge figure of Giratina over the horizon. They hid behind a rock and waited for the perfect time to strike.

When Giratina was distracted, Ash and Pikachu hopped on Noivern and flew towards Giratina's back. He leaped off and wrestled the huge beast, yanking at his tendrils. The rest of his team released themselves and unleashed a maelstrom of attacks battering the legendary pokémon. After a while of furious onslaught, Giratina's strength started to wither. They crashed violently into the ground and Giratina was knocked out cold, and Ash suffered severe gashes to his legs and probably a broken rib.

Despite his injuries, Ash crawled over to Pakura's lifeless body and shook her awake. She opened her eyes eakly, which brightened when she realised who it was. She cupped his cheek with a blood soaked hand and smiled. Ash hushed her when she tried to speak, insisting she should rest, but she needed to say this.

"Ash," she said, slipping in and out of consciousness, "don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Go and rule the region."

"I can't do it without you, Paku. I need you. Please don't go." Ash begged, choking back a sob.

"I must. This curse will take my life, and there is nothing anyone can do about it."

"No, don't say that. We will find a way, just hang in there!"

"Oh, Ash. It hurts so much. I physically _can't._ "

He couldn't take any more of this. He grabbed her head and slammed his lips against hers. They held the kiss for quite a while, before Pakura collapsed in his arms, dead. Ash openly cried, releasing all of his pent up pain and anger. His pokémon surrounded him to console him, and they cried too. In their sorrow they failed to realise the faint, gold glow surrounding the princess. As it got brighter, they opened their eyes and saw her levitate above them. All of a sudden, the light exploded, temporarily blinding everyone. A minute later the light died down, revealing a living, fully healed Pakura. Ash rushed towards her, holding her in a tight embrace. She grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him for what seemed like forever. Ash pulled away, and he recalled everyone but Noivern and Pikachu

"Come on, let's go home."

* * *

Every exit was sealed. There was no escape.

The police were alerted to his presence long before he even stepped into the portal. In all honesty, he really should have seen it coming. The police let Pakura go but forced Ash to put his hands behind his head and kneel. Kevin walked up and cuffed him, and announced that he broke the terms of his bail, so would be held in a cell until the trial. He knew trying to explain was futile, so he willingly accepted his fate.

* * *

Two weeks later, Ash sat in court in front of the judge and a group of lawyers. The was a huge mob outside of nearly 20,000 people as they protested his innocence. He was dressed in a three piece suit and had a depressed expression on his face. Looking around, he saw the faces of his Elite Four, gym leaders and everyone in administration of the Hunter Association. On the balcony he saw all the people he despised; the people that ruined his life and got him into this situation. He gave them one final death glare before finally looking over to the jury. They were people from other regions to keep the trial unbiased. All of the evidence, eyewitness accounts (including the people of Pallet Town) and Ash's own statement were displayed a week earlier and the jury needed time to view everything.

"Well then. The jury have seen everything, so now all they have to do is reach a verdict on the charges of murder and grievous bodily harm. Mr Ketchum has already pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. If you would all like to follow Mr Welsby to the jury room. Thank you. Court is adjourned."

Ash's fate was now in the hands of 13 strangers. They were escorted to a large room with very little decorations and furniture. The only piece of furniture there was a large, rectangular table with six seats either side and one seat at the head. There was a smaller table in the corner with an assortment of tea, coffee and biscuits. Mr Welsby informed them that they needed to delegate a spokesperson among them to lead discussion and that they could review all statements and evidence presented. After nominating himself, juror 5 was voted spokesperson and everyone sat down.

"So, first up we got the knife used. Obviously it had Mr Ketchum's prints on it but he said that they were only there because he tried to remove it from his mother's body. He accuses Mr Max Maple of stabbing Mrs Ketchum but his prints aren't on it. What do you guys think?" number 5 started.

"Weren't there fibres on it that couldn't have been Mr Ketchum's though?" number 11 pointed out.

"That doesn't necessarily mean they are from Mr Maple, as none of his clothing or indeed the clothing of the other's present sheds those fibres." replied number 2.

"What about the neighbours: they said that they heard Delia's screams before Ash even got home, so he clearly wasn't the one who killed her because she would have been stabbed by the time he got home."

"You mean, the neighbours that were kidnapped and magically reappeared a few days before the trial? Who's to say they weren't forced to say that when they went missing?"

"Umm, they did."

"And who's to say they weren't forced to say _that?_ "

"Alright, settle down!" number 5 yelled, trying to maintain order. "Moving on, the Champion Cynthia's report. She claims that she saw Mr Ketchum over his mother's body with a blood soaked knife and clothes. She also noted that none of the others present had any blood on them at all."

"I think we all know what this means, it was _clearly_ Ketchum who killed his mother: he was the only one with blood on him."

"Well, the evidence is substantial, so we don't know for sure that he did it. Also, they could have changed before Cynthia even got there, and Ash was only pulling out the knife."

"If that was the case then the investigation team would have found them somewhere wouldn't they?"

"Not really, they could have hidden them somewhere they wouldn't look."

"Okay, I think I'll stop this here before a fight breaks out. I believe that we have covered everything here, so all that is left is our verdict. Anyone who votes that Ash Jorel Ketchum is not guilty of the two charges placed on him please raise your hands." said juror 5.

* * *

The whole 'time slowed down' cliché was completely lost on Ash up until the verdict. His entire future depended on the next few words that came out of juror 5's mouth. He could either finally get revenge on the motherfuckers that killed his mother or he could lose his freedom and his reputation would have been tarnished. Forget that, ripped up and shat on. So yeah, time moved slowly for Ash Ketchum. He looked over to his girlfriend for solace. She gave him a look that said 'don't worry, everything will be okay'. He found some comfort in that and relaxed slightly.

"Now, I have been informed that you have come to a unanimous decision, am I correct?" asked the judge.

"Yes, Your Honour," juror 5 replied.

"Then let's hear it. On the charge of murder with intent, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty," was the simple reply.

"And on the charge of grievous bodily harm?"

"Guilty."

This outcome shocked everyone, even Ash's old friends. They were expecting Ash to win the case, especially with the Pallet Town natives. But none were more shocked than Ash himself. He was constantly tortured with nightmares of that night, all for nothing. He suffered mercilessly only to be denied the one thing he wanted. Justice. He had no idea how to react to this, so he didn't the security guards either side of him dragged him away, and he mindlessly followed. What other choice did he have? He lost.

* * *

 **Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. My name is Pie Slasher. Before any of you ask, yes I did get permission from BookPrincess32 to do this fanfiction, so don't any of you internet virgins think about typing frantically how this should get taken down for plagiarism. I don't take any credit for the characters in this fanfiction (except Kevin), only the plot.**

 **There will be a second and final chapter to this soon, and don't worry, Ash will get out of prison.**

 **Kudos to anyone who can point out all the references I made, including Ash's fake middle name. (Hint: it's not Jor-El from Superman).**

 **I feel like I should explain some things about this. First off, I changed Ashura to Ashton, simply because to me, Ashton seemed more likely to be his full name if indeed Ash is a shortened version of his name. Also, Ashton Ketchum is very close to Ashton Kutcher, so yeah, there's that. Also, I was contemplating finishing this alternate version here, but I thought it would make for interesting reading if Ash got locked up. Another thing: Pakura was meant to die, but I just couldn't do that to Ash. He was in enough pain already, and her death would probably end in his suicide, so I kept her alive. For the court scene, I noticed that in most media, you always see the court and not the jury's thought process because they are usually off-screen, so I made it so that they were the focal point, but I have no idea if it worked or not.**

 **Anywho, that's all I have to say. Constructed criticism is obviously better, but flames are accepted, but for the love of the omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent, omnipotent, eternal holy creature of the unexplored oceans, make them interesting or funny. I need something to keep me from going insane.**

 **-Pie**


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